Horror Dadz Productions has officially unleashed the first teaser trailer for A Man in the Woods with an Axe, the latest genre-bending project from indie horror writer-director Dillon Brown. But before you start placing bets on the final girl or predicting the order of the teenage body count, the filmmakers have a blunt warning: this movie is a massive trap.
The Bait-and-Switch: More ‘Truman Show’ Than ‘Friday the 13th’
While the title practically screams “camp counselor massacre,” Brown is using your love of 1980s backwoods slashers against you. What starts as a comforting, clichéd horror setup quickly morphs into a surreal nightmare.
“We wanted the title to create certain expectations,” Brown teased. “The fun comes from pulling the rug out from under the audience. This isn’t simply a movie about a man in the woods with an axe. The deeper viewers go, the more they’ll realize something very unusual is happening beneath the surface.”
Practical Effects > CGI
In a move that will delight physical media purists and monster kids alike, Horror Dadz Productions is going old-school. The film completely ditches cheap digital shortcuts in favor of visceral, real-world movie magic.
“We’re huge fans of practical effects,” Brown explained. “There’s something timeless and visceral about seeing real makeup effects, real blood gags, and practical creatures or scares happening right in front of the camera. We wanted to capture that magic.”
The Team Facing the Blade
The mind-bending story spans decades, unraveling a mystery far too big for a single forest. Surviving the multi-generational weirdness is a core cast that includes Clare Stephenson, Hannah Welty, Michael Rock, and Dustin Tamplen.
A Man in the Woods with an Axe is currently in front of the cameras and is slated to hack its way into theaters and onto screens in 2027. Check out the first teaser trailer below—don’t expect a standard walk in the park.
